Hanging on: Golden Eagles remain in first place with road win at APSU

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech opened an important
four-game road trip by fending off a stern challenge from Austin
Peay Thursday night in the Dunn Center. The Golden Eagles held onto
first place in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 69-65 victory over
the Lady Govs.

Entering the game just one game back in the tight OVC race,
Austin Peay harbored hopes of knocking off coach Sytia Messer's
squad in the first meeting between the two in-state rivals and
moving into a tie at the top of the standings.

Instead, juniors Tacarra Hayes and
Rachel
Glidden led the way to the four-point win. Hayes finished with
23 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Her night
included a 9-for-11 effort at the free throw line.

Glidden, meanwhile, made all eight of her free throws on the way
to 16 points. She was a perfect 6-for-6 in the final 35 seconds as
Tech kept the rallying Lady Govs just out of reach.

Tech improved to 13-4 overall and 7-1 in the OVC. APSU saw its
record slip to 6-13 overall and 5-3 within the conference.

Austin Peay went on top early, leading for most of the first 10
minutes of the game. Tech broke a 17-17 tie with a free throw by
Hayes with 10:30 remaining in the first half, never trailed after
that. Shortly afterward, the Golden Eagles pieced together a 9-0
run to build a 29-20 lead.

The Lady Govs got back within four just before halftime, and that
was the Golden Eagle margin at the break, 33-29.

Tech tried to slip away in the second half, getting a six-point
lead and later taking a seven-point advantage. But the Lady Govs
didn't surrender. Austin Peay came back to tie the game at 51-51
with 6:04 to play on a layup by Rayner.

Two free throws by Kylie Cook broke that
deadlock and Austin Peay never caught up. The home team did get
within one, 62-61, but Glidden poured through her free throws down
the stretch to secure the road win.

The second game on the four-game road stretch comes Saturday
evening in Nashville as Tech visits Tennessee State for a 5:15 p.m.
contest in the Gentry Center.